Nintendo DS Becomes World’s Best Selling Video Game Console Ever

Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 2 was one of the most advanced and feature-rich game platforms of all times and until recently it was also the world’s best-selling game console of all times. However, Nintendo’s DS, which is still available after over a year since the new-generation 3DS debut recently managed to outsell the legend and now ranks as the world’s most popular game system ever.

According to VGChartz web-site, which monitors sales of video game hardware and software using reports and data from leading-edge market trackers, life-to-date sales of Nintendo DS totaled 153.69 million recently, whereas LTD shipments of Sony PS2 totaled 153.68 million. Considering that both consoles remain on the market in many countries, they may continue to swap places going forward, but they will unlikely be challenged anytime soon as the only alive platform approaching 100 million unit sales is Nintendo Wii with 98.05 million units sold so far.

While the launch of Nintendo 3DS, the successor of the DS, was rather bumpy, its life-to-date sales are 24.35 million, just a little lower than global unit shipments of the original Microsoft Xbox (24.65 million) throughout its lifespan and well ahead of that of Nintendo GameCube (21.74 million).

Nowadays both portable and non-portable game consoles are challenged by smartphones, tablets and cloud video game streaming services. In the coming years the competition will get even more intense, therefore, it is unlikely that future game consoles will be able to reach sales of 100 – 150 million during their life-cycle.